The hub of the workplace; where would working life be without a kitchen for preparing food and refreshing tea breaks? Equally, commercial kitchens need to uphold the highest standards of food hygiene to ensure the health and safety of the consumer. Keeping a clean kitchen is therefore vital to ensure this.
This article will highlight why providing a clean kitchen space, that’s fit for purpose, is essential. Exploring 5 reasons why keeping a kitchen environment clean is important for everyone's health and safety, it’ll also reveal how safety signs and labels can help employers achieve this required standard.
Why is Kitchen Hygiene Important?
Just as parents pride themselves on keeping a clean and tidy kitchen at home, providing “somewhere to rest and eat meals” is part of an employer’s expected general welfare provision in the workplace, as specified by the Health and Safety Executive. Ignoring this duty of care means you could face complaints from upset staff members, if not legal action.
Elsewhere in commercial kitchens, maintaining hygiene is regulated to protect diners or those purchasing produce to consume. Inspections are a regular occurrence where kitchen hygiene must be observed.
Rather than consider these measures as a chore, there are in fact several benefits to keeping a kitchen spotless and hygienic.
Deterring Pests
Appointing someone to regularly check and throw out expired food such as mouldy cheese and open packets is always a wise move. Vermin and ants are drawn to spoiled food and crumbs, while weevils will seek out flour for their main meal.
Recommended Signs
Be sure to use signs to remind employees about the expected standards of cleanliness in the kitchen:
These signs will reduce the likelihood of damage and illness from pests.
Saving Energy
Displaying safety notices in a kitchen helps to reduce energy, business overheads and appliance emissions. A fridge has to work harder for longer to keep everything cool if its door seal is dirty. Avoid this and you’ll need to replace inefficient appliances less frequently if properly maintained.
Recommended Signs
Lower your site’s energy bills with signs that reinforce how to keep a clean kitchen:
As seen above, a clean setting can be more energy efficient and encourage better kitchen etiquette.
Reduces Employee Absences
Listeria, salmonella and E. coli are significant risks in a kitchen. Causing illness, food poisoning and painful stomach cramps, they compromise employees’ health. Sometimes contagious, people experiencing these foodborne issues will call in sick, leading to the expense and inconvenience of finding replacement cover.
Recommended Signs
Food and basic hygiene are key preventative measures. Displaying the following safety signs is a cost effective way to remind employers of their responsibilities to themselves and colleagues:
Use alongside colour coded knives and chopping boards to educate those using the kitchen.
Fewer Injuries
When left on the floor, unseen food or liquids can cause potential long-term injuries resulting from falls. Legal proceedings may even be brought to action if the employer is seen at fault. Keeping your kitchen clean minimises such hazards, is simple, and starts with professional signage.
Recommended Signs
Include these signs in your workplace kitchen to reduce the chance of slips:
Encouraging care be taken in a kitchen environment, these signs should be supplied alongside cleaning equipment, paper towels and mops.
Improved Staff Morale
Providing a clean and adequate kitchen area isn’t just a legal requirement or strategy to reduce absences and injuries at work. It’s also ethical; it’s vital to create motivated employees who will enjoy their breaks and return to their desk feeling rested and ready to go. After all, The World Economic Forum reveals that “happy employees are more productive”.
Recommended Signs
Having these signs in place shows employees that their employer cares for their wellbeing:
There’s no doubt that a cleaner kitchen creates happier, safer teams.
High Quality Signs are just a Click Away
Label Source’s safety signs for your kitchen help you meet your business’ legal responsibilities at an affordable price. Their bright colours and easy to read fonts make them visible and effective too. Shop our extensive kitchen signs and labels range to encourage best practice every day.
